Steam-superheater.



No. 773,258. PATENTED 00T. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No* 773,258. PATENTED OCT. 25;'1904.. C. R. INGHAM'.'

STEAM SUPERHEATER.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. l, 1904.

vN() MODEL. 3 SHBETS-SHBBT 2.

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PATENTED 00T. '25, 1904. o. R. INGHAM. STEAM SUPERHBATER.

APPLIGATION FILED MAE. l, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

STEAM-SUPERHEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming pea ef Letters Patent No. 773,258, dated october25, 1904.

Application filed March l, 1904. i

' citizen of the United States, residing at Suffern, Rockland county,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im-yprovements in Steam-Superheaters, of which the following is aspecification suflicient to enable others skilled in the art to whichlthe invention appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to superheaters designed to effect thedecomposition of steam by wire-drawing it through a long narrow tortuousconduit or retort of very small width in cross-section filled withretarding-surfaces of refractory material, as set forth in my concurrentapplication, Serial No. 192,546, filed February 8, 1904.

My present invention consists,essentially,in the use, with theretort-pipes of small diameter described in said concurrent application,of concentric annular conduits communicating therewith, also filled withretarding-surfaces of refractory material, the space between thesecondary annular conduits and the primary central pipes being utilizedas fines for the products of combustion, which also pass around theperipheral sides of said secondary conduits, the object being' to firstsuperheat the steam in the tortuous passage of small diameter and theneffect the complete decomposition of the steam in the annular conduits,which afford an increased area for expansion without any increasetransversely of width of passage--that is to say, the component gasesare confined in the secondary conduit between annular walls the inneropposed surfaces of which are a distance apart equal approximately tothe diameter of the primary conduit, so that while the area of thesecondary conduit as a whole is muchv .greater than that of the primaryconduit,

with which the said secondary conduit is filled,

semi No. 196,061. (No moda.)

so that the refractory material occupying the central portion of theannular passage is as hot as that portion in actual contact with theannular concentric side walls thereof. By providing a greater area inthe secondary conduits while maintaining the same'degree ofuniformly-distributed heat as in the primary coil I provide for theexpansion of the 'superheated steam and its decomposition into itsconstituent gases within said secondary conduit, the expansion of thesuperheated steam causing' it to absorb and render latent more heat thanwhen confined under greater pressure in the smallprimary pipes, therebyfacilitating the decomposition of the superheated steam into itsconstituent gases and renderingthe latter stable with relation to eachother. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional plan taken uponplane of line l l, Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section upon plane ofline 2 2, Fig. 5; Fig. 3, a horizontal section upon plane of line 3 3,Fig. 5; Fig. 4, a sectional elevation of the interior of the furnace,partly broken away, the walls of the furnace being shown in section onplane of line 4 4, Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken. uponplane of line 5 5, Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section,upon anenlarged scale, showing four adjoining members of the retort. Fig. 7 isa sectional view taken upon line 7 Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a transversesection upon plane of line 8 8, Fig. 7.

F is a furnace of any appropriate form and construction, preferablyformed with a central combustion-chamber f, surrounded by spaces or uesf f for the passage of the products of combustion on their way to thedischarge-flue f2. rlhe furnace maybe heated by vliquid or gaseoushydrocarbon introduced through one or more nozzles a, and indicatedsymbolically, or by any otherl means desired or fuel desired. K

p p are pipes forming a series of primary superheaters, preferably notexceeding three inches in internaldiameter, connected togethersuccessively, filled with fragmentary refractory retarding material m,and supplied with steam under pressure through a valve o and pipe o', asin my concurrent application hereinbefore referred to. Thedischarge-pipe IOO p at the end of the series of primarysuperheating-pipes p p opens into the first of a series of annularconduits c c, coupled together successively by connections c c. Eachconduit c is preferably` though not necessarily, arranged concentric toone of the primary pipes y) and is formed of an inner pipe c and outerpipe c2, united and centralized by suitable Ts or heads c, The inner'pipe c" is of a diameter sufficient to create a flue-space f:g betweenits inner surface and the opposed peripheral surface of the pipe y), andthe outer pipe c is of a diameter sufficient to create between its innersurface an annular passageway or space c" of a width laterally of notmore, preferably, than three inches. The Ts or heads c3 conforminternally as near as possible to these conditions and dimensions,theconnections cf between the heads c3 being preferably fiattened orelongated transversely, as indicated in Fig. 8, so that a uniformity ofwidth of passage is maintained practically from one end of a series ofconduits c to the other, this width of passage being preferably the sameas the internal diameter of the primary heating-pipes 29, orapproximately so.

The spaces c'i in the conduits c, as well as the internal spaces in theheads c:i and connections c, are filled continuously and loosely withfragmentary refractory retarding material m and form,with the interiorsof the primary pipes 7) and connections,one continuous long narrowtortuous passage of uniform width taken transversely. This width ofpassage is preferably never allowed to exceed three inches, so as toinsure the same temperature at the center of the passage as at thesides, as set forth in my concurrent application hereinbefore referredto. In practice I have found an internal width of passage of much lessthan two inches most effective, while beyond a width of passage of threeinches satisfactory and economical results cannot be attained.

In order to insure an intimate contact of the products of combustionwith the peripheral surfaces of the conduits c the furnace may be formedwith fiues f", surrounding said conduits c, as indicated in thedrawings, in which 71 represent suitably-shaped firebricls supportedwithin the combustionchamber f by suitable means.

lhe pipes, conduits and connections are designed to be made or ajax orother metal or composition adapted to withstand a temperatu re ofapproximately 4,0000 Fahrenheit, and a fillingl of fragmentaryrefractory retarding material is used that will stand a liketemperature.

In use the steam is superheated to a high degree within the primarypipes 7?, but is restricted and confined therein under i great pressure,owing to the smallness of the area of the pipes. Vlfhenitescapes intothe larger area of the secondary or decomposing conduits c, it expandsto fill the annular space therein, thereby absorbing and renderinglatent a sufficient amount of heat to render its constituent gasesstable with relation to each other. The large amount of heat necessaryto accomplish this result is afforded by the highly and uniformly heatedrefractory retarding-surfaces within the conduit, in which the heat atthe center of the width of annular passage is as great as at the sidesof the conduit exposed to direct contact with the products ofcombustion. Thus there is no central line of lesser resistance affordedto the superheated steam or gaseous constituents, and the latter leavethe decomposingconduits in the most favorable condition for effectingchemical combinations or reactions, as in the manufacture of gas fromhydrocarbons, Sac.

It is obvious that since the main object of the use of the annularsecondary conduits is to afford an increased area for the expansion ofthe superheated steam without increasing laterally the width of passage(exposed on both sides to the heat of the products of combustion) theconcentric arrangement of primary pipes and secondary conduits hereindescribed may be dispensed with and the primary and secondary passagesarranged in separate groups in the furnace with like result, but at thesacrifice of economy in space, so that I do not confine myself strictlyto the identical arrangement of parts shown. It is also obvious that theannular conduits may be used alone for superheating and decomposingsteam, if desired, since they afford a maximum of heating area andsurface with a minimum width of passage.

lVhatI claim as my invention, and. desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. The combination with a furnace, of a superheater consisting of aseries of annular conduits connected together successively within thefurnace, each annular conduit having a central flue for the products ofcombustion and being also exposed peripherally thereto, the chambers insaid series of annular conduits being filled loosely and continuouslyfrom end to end with fragmentary refractory retarding material toconstitute a singleV long retort entirely within the furnace for thepurpose described.

2. The combination with a furnace, of a su perheater consisting' of aseries of annular conduits connected together successively within thefurnace, each annular conduit having a central flue for the products ofcombustion and being also exposed peripherally thereto, the chambers insaid series of annular conduits being less than three inches in widthlaterally and being filled loosely and continuously from end to end withfragmentary refractory retarding material to constitute a single longnarrow-passaged retort entirely within the furnace for the purpose setforth.

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3. The combination with a furnace, of a superheater consisting of aprimary heatingpipe of small diameter and a secondary annular conduitconnected therewith, the lateral width of passage in the said secondaryannular conduit being the same as .the internal diameter of the primarypipe or approximately so, both the primary pipe and the secondaryconduit being filled loosely and continuously from end to end withfragmentary refractory retarding material, the whole constituting a singie long narrow-'passaged retort entirely within the furnace, for thepurpose set forth.

et. The combination with a furnace, of a superheater consisting of aprimary heatingpipe of not more than three inches internal diameter anda secondary annular conduit connected therewith, the width of passage inthe said secondary annular conduit not exceeding three inches laterally,both the primary pipe and the secondary conduit being filled loosely andcontinuously from end to end with fragmentary refractory retardingmaterial, the whole constituting a single long narrow-passaged retortentirely within the furnace, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a furnace, of a superheater consisting of aprimary heatingpipe of small diameter and a secondary annular conduitconnected therewith and arranged concentrically thereto so as to createa flue for the products of combustion between them, the lateral width ofpassage in the said secondary annular conduit being thesame as theinternal diameter of the said primary pipe or approximately so, both theprimary pipe and the secondary conduit being filled loosely andcontinuously from end to end with fragmentary refractory retardingmaterial, the whole constitutingl a single long narrow-passaged retortentirely within the furnace for the purpose set forth.

6. The'combination with a .furnace` of a superheater consisting of aprimary heatingpipe of not more than three inches internal diameter anda secondary annular conduit connected therewith and arrangedconcentrically thereto so as to create a flue for the products ofcombustion between them, the lateral width of passage in the saidsecondary annular conduit being the same as the internal diameter of thesaid primary pipe or approximately so, both the primary pipe and thesecondary conduit beingfilled with fragmentary refractory retardingmaterial, the whole constituting a single long narrow-passaged retortentirely within the furnace for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a furnace, of a steam-superheater consisting ofa series of small primary heating-pipes and connections of substantiallyuniform area in cross-section connected together successively andcommunieating with and discharging into a secondary series of conduits,consisting of annular chambers connected together successively and eacharranged concentric to one of the said primary heating-pipes both ofsaid primary and secondary retort-passages being filled loosely andcontinuously from end to end with refractory retarding material, and allthe pipes and connections being situated entirely within the furnace forthe purpose set forth.

8. The combination with a furnace, of a steam-superheater consisting ofa series of pipes and connections of small internal diameter connectedtogether successively and communicating` with and discharging in toarsecondary series of annular conduits connected together successively,the width laterally at the passages in said conduits being substantiallythe same as the internal diameter of the said series of primary pipes,the series of primary pipes and the series of secondary conduits beingfilled loosely from end to end with fragmentary refractory retardingmaterial the whole constituting a single long narrowpassaged retortentirely within the furnace, for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination with a furnace, of a steam-superheater consisting ofa series of pipes and connections not exceeding three inches in internaldiameter connected together successively, and communicating with anddischarging into a secondary series of annular conduits connectedtogether successively,and not exceeding three inches in internal lateralwidth, the said series of primary pipes and the said series of secondaryannular conduits being filled loosely from end to end with fragmentaryrefractory retarding material, the whole constituting a single longnarrow-passaged retort entirely within the furnace, for the purpose setforth.

10. The combination of a furnace formed with a series of flues for theproducts of combustion, a series of annular conduits situated in saidfurnace-fines and connected together successively, and a series of pipesarranged centrally in said annular conduits connected with eachsuccessively and discharging into said series of annular conduits, thediameters of the pipes and conduits being such relatively that passagesare formed for the products of combustion between the peripheralsurfaces of the pipes and the inner concentric surfaces of the conduitsand between the peripheral surfaces of the cond uits and the opposedsurfaces of the furnace-fines, the said pipes and conduits being filledloosely and continuously from end to end with fragmentary refractoryresisting material and the whole constituting a single longnarrow-passaged retort entirely within the furnace, for the purpose setforth.

CHARLES R. INGHAM.

Witnesses:

D. W. GARDNER, GEO. WVM. MIA'r'r.

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